Open House Melbourne weekend highlights

Now in its 11th year, Open House Melbourne will invite members of the public to consider the design, development and growth of our city and encourage curiosity in Melbourne’s built environment on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July. Building sites open on The Weekend have increased to 224 sites with 87 new buildings in the program. In the City of Melbourne alone, 84 buildings will be open.

Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp encourages the public to glimpse inside and hear the stories that bring these buildings to life.

“Melbourne is a city full of historic architecture and modern design just waiting to be explored and we’re encouraging people to explore Open House Melbourne this July,” the Lord Mayor said.

“From amazing and well-known buildings such as the State Library of Victoria, to recent architectural gems including Buxton Contemporary in Melbourne’s arts precinct, there’s something sure to surprise everyone. The City of Melbourne is a proud partner of Open House Melbourne and we’re excited to provide people with a behind the scenes peek at some of our most iconic sites and learn about the people who shaped them and the stories they have to tell.”

Highlights in the City of Melbourne include:

Melbourne Metro Tunnel Walking Tour

When: Saturday 28 + Sunday 29 July 2018

Join the Metro Tunnel team on a walking tour along Swanston Street between the sites of the two new underground train stations in the CBD. Put on your hard hat and zip up your high-visibility vest as you visit key locations including City Square, Franklin Street and A’Beckett Street where construction activities and archaeological investigations are well underway. See how this mega project is being constructed in a busy city while trams and pedestrians continue to move along Swanston Street.

Ahead of excavation works for the Metro Tunnel, archaeologists and heritage experts will use excavators, shovels and hand trowels to sift through layers of rock and soil to uncover archaeological remains and artefacts dating back 180 years and earlier. One of these archaeologists will join the walking tour to further explain this very special project.

The Australian Ugliness and New Technology at the Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne

Open: Sat & Sun 10am-4pm

The Melbourne School of Design – located at The University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus – is the state-of-the-art academic facility designed in collaboration by John Wardle Architects and NADAAA (Boston). The space will be open for self-guided tours, allowing the public to explore the intersection of interdisciplinary engagement and the exploration of environmental issues. While on location at Melbourne School of Design, it’s worth visiting The Dulux Gallery, currently housing the keynote of this year’s Open House Melbourne July program, The Australian Ugliness exhibition by artist Eugenia Lim.

NExT Lab: New Experimental Technology Lab

A technology-focused space providing students and designers with tools that enable them to explore and experience new design technologies. Found in the lab are: 3D printers, 3D scanning technology, a programmable LED light installation and augmented and virtual reality tools. The lab evokes futuristic imagination when the space is continually reconfigured for different purposes during the day.

A New Offering in Melbourne’s Arts Precinct at Buxton Contemporary

Open: Sat & Sun 10am-4pm

Buxton Contemporary is located within the Victorian College of the Arts in Southbank; the gallery is the philanthropic gift of the Michael Buxton collection to the University of Melbourne. The gesture of gifting the collection sees the public being privy to one of the most important contemporary art collections in Australia. Guided exhibition tours lead by Buxton Contemporary staff will be taking place at 11am, and guided architectural tours by Fender Katalidis Architects will take place at 1pm both days.

Black Design Matters at the Koorie Heritage Trust

Open: Sat & Sun 10am-5pm

The community-owned Indigenous gallery and cultural centre is located in the Yarra Building of Federation Square. The Koorie Heritage Trust celebrates the rich 60 000-year history of the Aboriginal people of South-eastern Australia, housing exhibitions and running cultural awareness and education programs. During the Weekend, visitors will get a chance to visit their current exhibition Blak Design Matters, a national survey of Contemporary Indigenous Design curated by Jefa Greenaway.

Multi-award-winning RMIT New Academic Street

Open: Sat 10am-4pm

The New Academic Street project has recently transformed the heart of the RMIT University city campus, creating new facilities to deliver better services for students. The project has opened the campus to the surrounding Melbourne streetscape, creating light-filled laneways, glass-roofed arcades, rooftop urban spaces, outdoor terraces, light wells, and efficient walkways between floors. Designed by multiple Victorian architecture firms – Lyons, MvS Architects, NMBW Architects, Harrison and White, and Maddison Architects – the New Academic Street project took out five awards at the 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards, including the coveted Melbourne Prize.

The full Open House Melbourne Weekend program is now available to view online and the popular printed program can be purchased at Readings or via their website – readings.com.au